


Charming and The Witch

by NagiraAkisa



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Don't wanna spoil too much with the tags, F/M, Fantasy, Ghosts, I'll add more tags as the story progress, I'm Bad At Tagging, Post-War, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 06:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10270859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NagiraAkisa/pseuds/NagiraAkisa
Summary: History has it that an evil, powerful witch and her vengeful spirits are living in the abandoned castle deep within the woods. Everybody believes it, and keeps their distance, but him? He doesn't. My take on Disney's 1991 animated movie: Beauty and The Beast.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome to Charming and The Witch! I am so excited to write this story, and I couldn't wait to hear what you guys will think of it. (^▽^)
> 
> Alright, this story is my take on Disney's animated (not the upcoming live action) movie, Beauty and The Beast. To make it even more interesting, there will be a 'gender role switch' in my story. You'll know what I mean as you read on or can guess from the story's title. On the side note, this story is also inspired by the trailer of the 2011 film, Beastly. Never watched the movie itself, the ratings are kinda... discouraging too.
> 
> No more talking and on to the story! I hope you will enjoy.
> 
> Please pardon any mistakes, especially my grammar. I'm trying my best to improve.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts and its characters! Except for the OCs and the story (well, my addition, changes and version of it at least). Everything else belongs to their respective owners.

_Hello, my children. Come, sit a little closer, and listen closely to what Granny Lacemere has to say. Pay attention now, for today's story isn't just any story… but the tale of our home._

_On a beautiful land, thriving with various plants and creatures, lies the peaceful Kingdom of Soligtus ruled by the Royal Family of Vallenhart. The realm comprised 3 major towns: Traverse Town — the town of night-lights, Twilight Town — the town of sunset, and the capital, Radiant Garden — the town of gardens and fountains._

_Our ruler was a kindhearted and intelligent king named Ansem Sophos Vallenhart. He never declared war to gain power and always strived to improve the lives of his people. King Ansem was down-to- earth, selfless and willing to teach what he knew. He even trusted his close students with his findings and experiments. Everyone in the kingdom loved and respected him with their heart._

_However, one day, one of his experiments malfunctioned. As the King rushed all his students to evacuate, he himself was too slow. The experiment exploded and took his life._

_King Ansem Sophos Vallenhart was laid to rest in the royal burial ground at the age of 57._

_Prince Vanitas Cinereus Vallenhart, King Ansem's adopted son, ascended the throne at the young age of 26._

_The whole kingdom mourned for the loss of their king, especially Prince Vanitas._

_Prince Vanitas Vallenhart was an orphan who was found injured in the castle's garden one stormy night at the age of 14. With a soft heart for those in need, King Ansem had nursed him back to health and raised him as his own. Under his loving care and upbringing, Prince Vanitas grew up into a great young man, who valued peace, knowledge and helping those in need as much as his stepfather._

_Needless to say, Prince Vanitas loved his stepfather and his sudden death had devastated the Prince with grief. Not long after his coronation, King Vanitas moved out of the castle in Radiant Garden and to a smaller castle that resides in the woods between Twilight Town and the capital. His wife, the newly turned Queen Silvana Netla Rosewood, welcomed him with all her love and open arms._

_Queen Silvana Rosewood was a commoner who King Vanitas met and fell in love with during a visit trip to a neighboring kingdom back when he was 21 years old. They married a few years later and the whole kingdom rejoiced in their merry union. However, after a year of their marriage, Princess Silvana found out she could not bear a child despite the healers' help and fell into despair._

_Crushed by the sight and remembered how much his wife loves the nature, Prince Vanitas had the smaller castle built in the woods for her as a present. Princess Silvana moved to the new establishment permanently after the construction was completed._

_For the next 15 years, King Vanitas had been a great ruler to Soligtus. He carried on his stepfather's studies and experiments, improving his people's lives and continued been a good friend with the neighboring kingdoms to reduce all possibility of war._

_All was peaceful until the night which began The Rise of the Broomriders._

_Witches and warlocks — or broomriders as we called them — are nefarious magic users who cast dark magic, make deadly potions and kidnapped little children. They are solitary creatures and always did their crime solo. But that night was different because the broomriders came in huge groups, like murders of deadly crows with their wands out — readied to cast lethal spells._

_It was a nightmarish night. Houses were raided, some were burned down, and children were snatched. The royal guards fought back with all their might, but the broomriders easily outmatched them. The guards were not prepared for war, especially one with wicked, flying magic-casters._

_Knowing he was short of manpower, King Vanitas promptly formed a new team of fighters called the Broomrider Hunters. The group composed of many experienced fighters across Soligtus, ranging from swordsmen to rare sorcerers, who volunteered to fight for their kingdom and their loved one. The Broomrider Hunters only had one goal: Protect the innocent and terminate all witches and warlocks._

_With the power provided by the hunters, Soligtus had the upper hand against the broomriders as their attacks dwindled by the 3rd month of the battle and stopped altogether. The war had come to an end and Soligtus was victorious. However, King Vanitas was concerned of what the escaped broomriders would do in the future, thus he sent the Broomrider Hunters out to track down and eliminate them._

_The relief and peace from the victory were ephemeral, for another tragedy shook the land: Queen Silvana was struck down by an unidentifiable illness. Devastated by the thought of losing another loved one, King Vanitas sought help from the neighboring kingdoms. The Kings assisted by sending over their best healers, but none of them could find the source and cure the Queen._

_Most unfortunate, Queen Silvana passed away at the age of 38, and the whole kingdom mourned once more. King Vanitas mourned as fully as he did for his stepfather, but he mourned the longest for his wife._

_The King began to shut himself in the castle and refused any audience from his people, but did his duties as the ruler nevertheless. Dealing with the damages from the battle, and coping with the death of his Queen, King Vanitas was at the lowest point in his life. His moment of weakness was not left unnoticed, for the wickedest creature in the world took this as her opportunity._

_One winter's night, an old woman dressed in a tattered cloak turned up at the castle's gate and asked for shelter from the bitter cold. Without a second thought, King Vanitas invited her in, unaware just who the elderly really was. Once inside the castle, the old woman's appearance melted away and shifted into the strongest witch of all: The Mother of Witchcraft._

_Before anything could be done, the Mother of Witchcraft ended King Vanitas's life._

_For the rest of the night, she terrorized the castle; hunted down the inhabitants, not caring if they were men, women, children or elderly. She carried on her dark deed until she had vanished every single one of them. The Mother of Witchcraft was proud of her work, for she had avenged the death of her kin. However, her cruel, unforgiving act will not be pardoned._

_Suddenly, a bright blinding light shone upon the witch from the night sky. Surrounded by the holy light, a beautiful woman descended. She was our savior and grace, the Goddess of Kingdom Hearts._

_Enraged by the deed of the Mother of Witchcraft, our Goddess placed a powerful spell upon the Mother as punishment. For the rest of her life, the witch has been cursed to seal within the castle's walls, with no hope of reversing the spell._

_To this day, the Mother of Witchcraft continues to roam in the castle of the woods. Fellow adventurers who had ventured into the castle stated they have not met the witch personally. Instead, they were greeted by another form of evil: spirits. The explorers claimed these vengeful spirits were summoned from the underworld by the witch to protect herself, and they would harm anyone who stepped into her new territory. Therefore, the castle was declared as a restricted area._

_Due to the sudden death of King Vanitas and the lack of a regent, the closest and longtime friend of both King Ansem and Vanitas, King Mickey Mortimer Maus of the Kingdom of Disney, stepped in and announced he would rule over Soligtus in honor of his friend._

_For the past 2 years, King Mickey ruled over with little to no difficulties, and the whole kingdom eventually stopped mourning for their fallen King and carried on with their new peaceful life._

_Although the Royal Family of Vallenhart was short-lived and no longer with us, they lived on in the hearts of their people. Their legacy will pass on through the generations and live on forever._

〜∗〜∗〜 Charming and The Witch 〜∗〜∗〜

The clock tower struck 6 o'clock just as the storyteller finished the story. The elderly woman hummed and stood from her stool, her old joints cracking after sitting stiffly for so long. Adjusted the shawl around her neck, she motioned the group of children sat before her to rise from the carpeted floor.

"That's all for today, dearies. It's time to go home," she instructed before noticing the fear on their little faces. "Oh, my lovelies. I'm so sorry if the story had frightened you. The past may have been scary and wasn't always peaceful, but it is also in the past. The broomriders are gone, and King Mickey has been a great ruler to us. Everything is safe and sound."

A boy with bright orange hair questioned, "How do we know if the Mother of Witchcraft is still sealed in the castle?"

"Ah." The storyteller turned to the boy. "That is a good question, Neku. Two royal guards would go to the castle twice every season to check. As stated by them, the witch's silhouette would walk past the windows once in awhile, so it wasn't hard to spot her."

"Will she break the spell one day?" A brunette girl clutching a cat soft toy asked next.

"No, I don't think so, Shiki. The Goddess of Kingdom Hearts is an all-powerful being, surely her spell won't be broken so easily." The storyteller began to walk towards the exit, gesturing the children to follow her. "Don't worry, dearies. Trapped in the castle, Mother of Witchcraft can do us no harm. Just remember to stay away from the woods and castle. They are too dangerous — especially during winter. You wouldn't want to be eaten by wolves, would you?"

The children replied with either an 'I understand' or a shake of their head to dismiss the thought of becoming wolves' meal.

"Now that's a good boy and girl." Soon, she stopped at the library's entrance, with its heavy wooden doors held open by a teenage staff. "Alright now, time to go home. Next story time, I'll read both 'The Great Adventures of the Chocobros' and 'Oracle Luna and the Plague of the Stars'. How about that?"

Almost instantly, the kids perked up and thanked the storyteller before leaving the library with smiles on their faces. One by one, the staff and storyteller bid the children farewell until the last of them had left. The old woman groaned and stretched her sore back before glanced up to the teenager with a small smile. "I noticed you were listening to the story earlier."

The teenager turned to face her. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Work ended early, so I decided to join in until it's time for the kids to go home. Did I bother you, Granny Lacemere?"

The storyteller, known as Granny Lacemere by everyone in town, shook her head. "No no. I do not mind at all. It's just…" The smile on her face turned into a worried expression. "I'm quite… concerned for you."

"Concern? Why?"

Granny Lacemere brought a bony finger up to tap her face as she reminisced. "I don't know if you have noticed it yourself. But you were… smirking? No no… that isn't the right word..."

"Smirking?" The teenager raised an eyebrow at that description. "Am I?"

The elderly woman shook her head once more. "Not really. You were smiling, but it wasn't a smirk. It's a… Oh! A skeptical smile, yes. It's like… like you don't believe in the story. You even rolled your eyes once."

"Really? I apologize if my action had upset you. I'll keep it in mind the next time you tell this story, Granny Lacemere." The teenager smiled politely and was about to leave when the elderly woman stopped him.

"Wait for a second, dear. I want to know why are you acting like that. That story is our history, yet you have shown skepticism about it. Why?" The storyteller asked, a look of concern and curiosity spread across her feature.

The library staff hesitated to the grandmother figure before he finally spoke, "It's not that I don't believe it. It's just… There are so many versions of it; I don't know which I should _truly_ believe in. I mean, you left out so many details in the one you told to the kids."

"I have to. They are merely children, son. I can't tell them about the death, the massacre and the message. Those would only frighten them more; scarred them even. They only need to know what is crucial for now. They'll eventually know the rest as they grow up." Granny Lacemere explained.

"That's understandable, but it also proves my points. By filtering and removing anything that is considered 'too graphic or not important', we don't get the full story in the end," the teenager stated. "There are so many missing pieces, that's why I can't find myself believing anything other than the full picture; the truth."

"How do you plan on finding the truth, dear?"

The teen sighed and let his shoulders droop. "I don't know — not at the moment. But I intend to find out one day."

The old woman sighed as well before shaking her head with a weak smile. She turned to the open door and uttered her last sentences to the teenager that day, "I've always known you differ from everyone in Twilight Town. Do whatever your heart tells you, dear. However, I only have one simple request: Please don't go near the castle. I have seen too many deaths and horror throughout my life. Everyone here is like my family, I don't want you or anyone to be taken by that witch ever again... Have a safe trip home, Roxas. I'll see you in the morning."

Roxas gave the storyteller a stare, then a soft 'see you too' as he watched the old woman limped out of the library and disappeared among the bustling crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the prologue! I hope you all enjoy the story so far. Due to my busy schedule, updates will not be frequent, but I'll try my best! I'll have you know that my chapters are quite long, so I hope they'll worth the wait.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Do drop a comment, kudos or bookmark to share your thoughts. They make me so happy.


	2. Chapter 1: It Began with a Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Everyone! Yes, I'm not dead and is (gosh damn finally) back with a chapter update!
> 
> I am so sorry for keeping you guys waiting. It has been very... stressful past months. My great friend, who is also my beta-reader for this story and a fan of KH, was going through some tough time in her life. So the revision had been postponed. I myself have been busy with work and figuring out what I want to do with my life. Yeah, to be short, life happened.
> 
> Back to a lighter topic! I watched the live action of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and I really enjoyed it. I'm glad they tried their best to cover all the plotholes in the animated cartoon and they didn't alter the plot unless it was necessary. I also went to Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour in my country. It was beautiful! *cries* Especially with all the extra dialogues they added in. *cries harder* During the show, I realized a major flaw to my story and I ended revising the whole plot again. It took a much longer time than I wanted to solidify the changes and new additions, but I hope they would make the story much better and realistic from before.
> 
> Alright, behold, I give you, chapter 1 of 'Charming and the Witch'. Enjoy~
> 
> Note: Some characters may or may not be related to other characters who shared the same last name. Those who are really 'blood-related' should be clear as the story progresses. Thank you.

  _Looking past the evergreen trees, between the spaces of their scales-like leaves, she asked warily, "Who are you?"_

_Silence._

_"I am…"_

〜∗〜∗〜 Charming and The Witch 〜∗〜∗〜

A sharp chirp brought Roxas Strife back to the real world. He looked up from the book he had been engrossed in for the past hours and turned to the source of the sound.

Perching on the open windowsill of his room was a messenger chocobo, wearing a mini dark green bandana around its neck and its yellow feather gleamed under the late afternoon sun. Once it noticed its call had caught the young man's attention, the bird flapped open its wings and flew to his book-stacked desk, landing next to him with another "kweh".

"Oh hey, Choco," Roxas greeted the bird, closing the book in his hands and put it away. "It's been awhile. A letter from Hayner, I presume?"

"Kweh!" Choco chirped then raised one of its legs, where a small sealed metal canister was attached to it.

With gentle hands, Roxas uncapped the container and retrieved the paper within. Unrolled the small letter, the spiky-haired blond scanned through the content before a grin spread across his face. "They're reaching, huh? Better go meet them then."

He tucked the small paper away and rewarded Choco a piece of Reagan Nut per usual. The messenger chocobo accepted the delectable treat and gobbled it up happily. "Thanks, Choco. You can go back to your owner now."

After bidding farewell with a chirp, Choco spread its wings and flew out of Roxas's house through the open window.

The young man placed the jar of nuts away and strapped his munny pouch to his belt. With long strides, he left his room, down the stairs and exited the two-floored house to the crisp cool air.

Roxas has been living in the sturdy building for as long as he could remember. Like a handful of other townsfolk, he and his family lived a short walking distance away from Twilight Town, so they have larger land for gardening, raising hens and a stable for their family horse, Buster. Both the house and land were costly, of course. However, his parents and godfather had well-paid jobs, thus able to afford them.

Roxas closed the front door firmly behind him and was about to leave for town when a stern, female voice called out to him, "Where do you think you're going, mister?"

The blond stopped in his track, startled by the sudden address. "Goddess of Kingdom Hearts, Aunt Aerith," Roxas uttered before turning around to face the brunette, "Don't sneak up on my like that. You almost gave me a heart attack. I'm just heading into town; Hayner and Pence are back from their travel."

Aerith Gainsborough Fair crossed her arms across her chest and lectured, "Then you should sharpen your hearing. Also, without your mantle or overcoat, you're not. Winter is approaching, Roxy. Don't want you to get sick now, do we?"

Roxas rolled his eye at the nickname but did it with a small smile. Aunt Aerith might be stern at times, but he knew she was simply caring for him. Moreover, she has been teasing him ever since he was a child, and he couldn't find himself to dislike her. In fact, Roxas was grateful that she didn't change one bit, especially after the war had ended.

"Stop calling me that, please Aunt Aerith? I'm 21 already, and what's wrong with what I'm wearing? I think they're just fine." He gestured at his apparel consisted of a dark brown long-sleeved shirt, leather belt, beige-colored breeches, and knee-high leather boots. Simple and comfortable. Just the way he liked it.

"Because they're thin. At least add on a doublet, Roxas. I can feel the biting cold already," the brown-haired woman said with a shudder.

"I'm fine Aunt Aerith, I assure you. Shall I fetch you your cloak instead?" The blond offered, knowing his godmother never likes it when the temperature dropped too low.

"It's alright, Roxy. I'm almost done here," Aerith said with a shake of her head before placing her dirt-caked-gloved hands on her hips, the gardening apron she wore prevented the soil from dirtying the pink dress underneath. "Just a few more flowers to transfer then harvest some vegetables. You never know when it'll snow these days, so it's best to get things done before then."

"I'll help you after I got my stuff," Roxas volunteered. "So don't push yourself too hard, alright Aunt Aerith?"

The brunette smiled and let out a short giggle. "I'm supposed to be the one to care for you, Roxas. Not the other way around. But, alright, I'll try my best not to. Now go and run your errand. Just remember to come home before dark, understand?"

"I will. Won'tbe long." Roxas waved his godmother farewell and began his walk to town.

* * *

 Twilight Town has always been a relatively quiet town. However, every morning and late afternoon, the town would buzz with activities and that day was no different from the others. Traders calling out their wares, food vendors beckoning passersby to buy their grubs, customers walking in and out of different workshops, and townsfolk entering the only church in town for their late afternoon prayer to the Goddess of Kingdom Hearts.

Over the years, the little town of sunset he knew had grown bigger and livelier, thanks to King Mickey's help in continue restoring Soligtus after the Rise of the Broomriders ended. With the three towns' own uniqueness and their former rulers' stellar reputation, travelers from all around the kingdom came to visit, allowing the towns to grow even more prosperous with what they earned from the tourism. More houses were built, more stores were opened, more jobs were available, and the townsfolk began to have a better, comfortable life.

Roxas steered his way through the bustle of carts and crowds along Market Street, for it was the quickest route to the South Gate, where his friends would be entered through.

"Oh, hello, Roxas dear." A perky voice greeted him, causing him to a stop. Roxas turned his head to the source and saw a blonde middle-aged woman dressed in a navy blue dress and white fur coat, standing by the threshold of a clothing boutique.

"Hello to you too, Mrs. Spindler," Roxas greeted back with a smile and a slight nod. "How was your day?"

"It's quite good, actually." The couturier answered. "With winter fast approaching, travelers have been asking for my best cloak and overcoat. My money pouch is getting fat fast." She laughed softly and gleefully as she patted a spot by her upper thigh. "How 'bout you dear? Today's your usual day off, isn't it?"

"My day has been great so far. I got to start on a book I've set my eyes on for quite some time. And yes, it is. I'm just coming out to meet up with someone," the young man replied.

"Oh~ Is it a girl?" Mrs. Spindler questioned with a teasing grin.

Roxas let out an awkward laugh and shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Spindler, but no. I'm meeting up with Hayner and Pence."

Her wide grin faltered and dropped into a smile. "Ah, I see. Say, Roxas dear. Shall I introduce you to some of my clients? You could use more female companions around your age."

"Oh no. That won't be necessary, madam, thank you." Roxas brought up his hands to reject. It was well-known among the townsfolk that Mrs. Spindler was not only a couturier but also a matchmaker and a good one too. However, she only does it for her customers. Thus, it became a reason why Mrs. Spindler's business has been running so well, for many people came hoping they would have a chance of finding their potential partner. But romance wasn't something Roxas was looking for at the moment.

"I know you can be quite shy at times, dear. But don't worry! There's this one girl from Traverse Town who I find—".

"Mrs. Spindler, please, there's really no need for you to match me up with anyone."

As if the Goddess above heard his silent plea, Roxas noticed a customer strolling towards the boutique and decided to use it as an escape route. "It seems like you're having a customer, so I won't take your time. It was nice talking to you, Mrs. Spindler. See you next morning."

With one last charming smile, he waved the clothes designer farewell and dashed away from the scene.

Behind him, Mrs. Spindler sighed in disappointment. "Such a pity… All he ever does is read. How will he ever find someone at this rate?"

After walking past more shops and greeted even more people, Roxas finally arrived at the South Gate and spotted what he was looking for in an instance. Situated not far from the entrance was a pine green-colored merchant wagon. On its side, written in bright, eye-catching red color, read 'Hayner & Pence | General Merchants'. Roxas couldn't help but smile every time he read the sign. Hayner was never good with naming, so he always went with the easiest or the first thing he could think of — Choco's name being one of it. Well, to his credit, the name of his and Pence's traveling trading business was straight to the point.

As Roxas advanced closer to the wagon, he spotted Pence Scientia tending to their horses, two beautiful brown-colored animals with strong muscles after years of pulling the wooden vehicle. The blond man watched the shorter, plump raven-haired man brought two full water buckets for the horses before calling out to him, "Did you lose weight, Pence? Are those new muscles on your hands I see?"

The man jumped at the sudden voice, almost tripping over his own feet. The two horses let out a snort at their clumsy owner before Pence composed himself and turned to greet him. "Oh! Roxas, it's you. Don't scare me like that ever again, alright? I've been jumpy enough on the whole journey back. And I suppose all those carrying should firm these babies up." He said with a grin and patted his bicep.

"Sorry about that. Why? Are the wolves packs growing in number?" Roxas inquired in concern, stopping to stand beside his friend.

"Well, not really. The royal guards have been keeping them in check, but you can never be too unguarded, you know? Especially when Hayner brought back three kegs of salted meat in the wagon." Pence replied, taking off his gray cap and proceeded to fan himself. It appeared his simple clothing of short-sleeved shirt, red sleeveless doublet and dark blue trousers were not enough to keep him cool. "I'm so glad we're home for all of winter."

Roxas gave his friend a smile then patted him on the shoulder. "It's great to have you guys back safe and sound. Now, Olette can go back pestering the both of you." He let out a laugh as Pence playfully hit him on the arm.

"Did someone say my name?" A male voice spoke from within the merchant wagon before the door swung open to reveal Hayner Tribal dressed in his signature attire: Green short-sleeved tunic, dark green breeches, leather belt strapped with his money pouch and dagger (for self-defense purpose), and ankle-high boots. With his blond hair, and overall green and brown-colored outfit, he could easily be mistaken as a wood elf if not for his normal rounded ears.

"My my, Hayner. I didn't know you changed your name to your girlfriend's," Roxas joked, watching the other blond puffed up his cheek.

"Before that, Roxas. Urgh, you know what I meant." Hayner shook his head with a smile then gestured. "Here for your orders, right?"

"Yeah. You sent Choco for this reason after all." Roxas let Pence back tending to the horses and walked towards his other friend.

Hayner nodded and retreated back into the wagon. "Knowing you, you would want to get your hands on them as soon as possible. The library ran out of books for you to read a long time ago after all. Ah. There they are." The next moment, he reappeared with two books in hands.

"Here you go," Hayner said while passing the books over to Roxas. "'The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants' and 'The Life of Ramza Beoulve'. I couldn't find that other book by Yen Sid. Sorry about that, Roxas."

"It's fine." Roxas sent his friend a grateful smile. "It's a rare book, so I don't expect you to find it so easily. How much?"

Hayner told him the price as Roxas rummaged through his pouch before dropping the coins into his friend's open palm.

"Thanks for the help, Hayner. As an extra payment, let me tell you something important."

The man in green raised an eyebrow curiously. "What's that?"

"Take Olette out on a trip. She has been dropping hints almost daily since you guys left one season ago. Best place? That Destiny Island you shared to us last time. She loves the idea of those Paopu Fruits," Roxas said with a teasing smirk and watched in glee as Hayner's cheeks turned red.

"H-How about her waitress job?"

Roxas snorted and rolled his eyes. "That's the reason why she wants to go travel with you, Hayner. Whenever the restaurant wasn't busy, I can see that she's bored and tired of the same old routine. After hearing all the stories from you and Pence, she dreams of seeing those places with her own eyes. She told me those herself during our breaks, you know."

"B-But traveling is tough, tiring and dirty. Why does she want to leave the comfort of Twilight Town?"

Roxas shrugged. "You know Olette; she's a tough girl. Plus, you guys will get to spend more time together like this. I'm surprised she hasn't given up on you, seeing how little time you two got before you and Pence are off traveling again."

"B-But…" Hayner sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "You have a point there… She has been so patient with me and never stops me from traveling in fear of me having an affair outside or something like that." A genuine smile spread across his face as his mind wandered off to his brunette girlfriend of three years. "Yeah, a trip with her does sound good. Maybe next Summer; the best time to go visit Destiny Island and doubles as her birthday present."

"You do your planning." Roxas grinned and patted his friend on the back. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled when the time comes, just remember to be careful on the trip. You sure you don't have other girlfriends in other kingdoms? Olette is like a sister to me; got to look out for her, you know?"

Hayner snorted then ruffled Roxas's hair playfully. "Of course not, you bookworm. Never will I cheat on Olette."

The other blond chuckled, pulled himself a safe distance from his friend then smoothed his hair back to normal. "I know. Moreover, I'm pretty sure Pence is more protective of Olette than me. So I trust him keeping an eye on you and stops you from doing things you'll regret later."

"Oh stop, you make it sounds like I'm a troublemaker," Hayner pouted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"But you are. Remember that time with Setzer?" Roxas reminded and had to stop himself from snickering as his friend frowned deeper.

"That was like 4 years ago! He openly flirted with Olette and clearly he was only interested in one thing and it was not a normal relationship," Hayner tsked and kicked the ground to vent his anger at the unpleasant memory. "He deserved that punch to the face."

Roxas smiled and added, "He did. Anyway, I have things to tend to before dark, and I'm sure you do too. Catch up tomorrow over lunch?"

"Sure. At the usual spot?"

"Yup. During our usual lunch hour break."

Hayner gave him a nod before quickly added, "You know, Roxas. You should add a new job title to your list."

Roxas's brow rose with mild amusement. "And what would that be?"

"Relationship Advisor. So, you're our town's friendly Library Manager, Chef, Food Creator, Reader and now, Relationship Advisor."

"I didn't know my reading hobby is a job; didn't see any munny so far. And 'food creator'? You're just making things up," Roxas said with a chuckle.

"Why not? Half of the restaurant's menu are your creations anyway." Hayner said matter-of-factly. "You should be running that restaurant instead of working for them."

Roxas shook his head. "I'm happy where I am now, Hayner. Alright, have to go. See you tomorrow and thanks for the books!" With a farewell wave to both his merchant friends, the young man turned on his heels and rushed off.

Hayner waved his friend goodbye and watched as the blond's form eventually disappeared among the bustling crowd. He shook his head and muttered, "Such a shame."

* * *

 Knowing Market Street would be very crowded at the moment—and wasn't too thrilled about the possibility of another encounter with Mrs. Spindler either—Roxas decided to return home through the Sandlot, a large open space where town events are generally held. It also served as the center of town and a gathering place for travelers as it was where Twilight Town's iconic clock tower situated. With the height of a five-story building, two beautiful stained-glass clock faces and four bells, the tower can be seen from anywhere in town.

It was built in-between an inn and a post office ran by a Moogle, a rare magical race. Roxas once read that these mysterious, floating beings are intelligent, industrious and specialized in many lines of work. However, the Moogles he knew and heard of so far are mostly in the mail service with messenger chocobos. Maybe he should ask Hayner for books specifically covered on Moogles next time…

"For you, my angel. The finest, smoothest rabbit fur cap made from my own hunt. It will surely keep you warm throughout the bitterly cold winter." A male voice snapped Roxas out of his 'what books to get next' mental list and turned his head to the source. Well, the sight wasn't anything unusual.

Not far from him, sitting on the wide ledge of a fountain's half-round basin, was Twilight Town's most desirable bachelorette, Namine Lacemere. Stood in front of her was three of her usual suitors, dressed in their respective signature color: yellow, red and green. Standing beside Namine, clad in sleeveless doublet and long pants, was Seifer, Rai and Fuu, her friends and sort-of bodyguards. The blonde young woman's (uncalled-for) title had drawn some unwanted attention in the past, thus the gang of three offered to protect her from any future possible harm.

However, Namine didn't receive the title for nothing. With silky blond hair that always draped over her right shoulder, pale unblemished skin, rosy cheeks, cornflower blue eyes and pink lips, a glance at her was all it needed to be entranced by her beauty. Namine may not have a well-endowed bosom, but her slim petite figure was one many women dreamt of possessing.

She normally wore a simple knee-length white dress and blue-dyed shoe, which gave her an innocent and angelic look. Many people agreed that she lived up to her surname; delicate, pretty, and sophisticated—just like lace. However, what made the townsfolk like Namine even more was her sweet and gentle personalities. She always knows how to brighten up one's day, plays with the townschildren, cooks delectable meals and can knit as well. In short, she was the perfect housewife. Many young men in town (handfuls from the others too) have been asking for her hand in marriage since she turned 14. For the past 6 years, Namine had rejected every single one of them.

But a few suitors refused to give up that easily.

The dark-haired man dressed in red rolled his eyes before elbowed the brunet man in yellow away, almost knocking the rabbit fur cap off his hands. "Run along, chap. What sweet Namine Lacemere needs are these!" The man proceeded to hold up and present the blonde his gift. "Knee high deerskin boots personally handmade from an adult deer hunted by yours truly. I guarantee these boots will protect your feet from both the snow and the wind, so you can enjoy the outdoors as if it is still autumn." The man said with a proud grin on his face, eagerly awaiting for the girl of his affection to accept his present.

But a mocking laugh behind him snapped him out of his wishful thinking. "Hahaha! Do you both really think those are worthy for Lady Lacemere? Clearly, Lady Lacemere deserves better than simple rabbit fur or deerskin. She deserves this." The last suitor in green held up his gift, a beautiful white and gray cloak made from soft wolves' fur. "I myself made this cloak with my own hands from the wolves I killed in the woods by the Vallenhart's castle. Just for you, Lady Lacemere."

Roxas noticed Fuu nodded once, mildly impressed by the suitor's hunt. The dark, barren woods surrounding the old castle was home to a large wolf pack, another reason to discourage people from venturing near the castle. It was clear that the suitor was bragging about his courage to hunt in that section of the woods, but seeing he was the fittest and tallest among the three, Roxas wasn't surprised his hunt would be better.

The bachelor in green brushed his reddish hair back then promptly walked closer to Namine. "This cloak would look beautiful on you, Lady Lacemere. Let me help to drape it on you."

However, the redhead could do nothing because the second he got too close, Seifer and Rai stood forward, their taller and broader form blocked the suitor from proceeding any further. "Keep your distance, y'know!" Rai growled, effectively ordering the suitors to stay a safe distance away from Namine.

The blonde told her friends to stop frightening the three men before giving them an apologetic smile. "Thank you for your thoughtful gifts, as always. But I do not have a use for them, so I'm afraid I have to reject them." The three suitors' form immediately slumped in disappointment.

Namine continued, "I suggest you send the gift to your family member or a close friend. They would appreciate it more than I ever will. And please don't hunt just for sport, especially when you're putting yourself in harm's way."

The suitors nodded their head in understanding. Namine had once again rejected their affection, and they knew it would be wise to stop pursuing after failing for years. However, whenever Namine shows concern over their safety, family, and friends, they just found themselves falling for her all over again. It was impossible not to be captivated by the blonde angel.

Namine smiled at them before turning her head and made eye contact with Roxas. Her smile grew wider instantly. "Oh! Roxas!" She stood up from the fountain's ledge and hurried towards the young man, leaving her suitors and bodyguards behind. "Nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too, Namine," Roxas greeted back with a small nod. "How was your day?"

"Oh, It has been delightful, thanks for asking. How about yours?"

A smile spread across his face. "It has been great too. I got to start on a book I had set my eyes on last week, and Hayner and Pence just returned safely from their travel with my orders too."

"Oh! Hayner and Pence are back? I must go welcome them home tomorrow morning," Namine said before questioned, "What did you order this time? Books again, I believe? Any rare one?"

"Yes and no. Hayner wasn't able to find them, but it's alright. They're rare for a reason after all," Roxas replied before holding each book in one hand to show them easier for the girl before him. "These are what he got."

Namine glanced at the books and her eyes gleamed when they landed on one of them. "'The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants'… W-Would you mind if I browse through it, Roxas?"

"Of course not. Here." The spiky-haired blond passed the botany book over to Namine and the girl accepted it gladly.

With careful hands, she flipped through the pages, marveled at the beautiful and detailed illustrations of numerous plants and flowers before shutting the book close and asked, "Are you rushing home, Roxas? I would like to browse through it longer but I didn't want to take up your time standing here."

"A-Ah well… I kinda am. I have to help Aunt Aerith out before dark," he explained.

"Then let me walk you home. I can read it on the way," Namine suggested, hugging the book to her chest with an excited smile. "You wouldn't mind, right Roxas?"

"I wouldn't. But…" Roxas's eyes looked over to her bodyguards and, of course, Seifer was sending his signature death glare right at him. Roxas and his friends were never on close terms with Seifer and his gang, but he noticed they have avoided each other more often after… Roxas gulped and shook his head, suppressing the sorrow and dread creeping up inside him.

Namine followed his gaze and pouted at Seifer, who immediately broke the glare and turned away, acting as if he had not been caught glaring red-handed. "Don't worry about them; I'll settle it. Be back in a minute," Namine told Roxas before trotted towards her friends.

Roxas watched silently as Seifer and Rai tried to persuade Namine while she would persistently reason back. Soon, they seem to come to a conclusion for Namine walked back to him with a victorious smile. "Alright, shall we go then, Roxas? We took enough of your time."

Roxas simply nodded and continued his walk towards his home. Right by his side, Namine flipped open the book and browse through the delicate pages once more.

Unbeknownst to Roxas, five men were sending him death glares behind his back. If looks could kill, the spiky-haired young man would have been six feet under a long time ago. After the blond duo disappeared from view, the rabbit-suitor growled, "Damn that Strife boy! He always got our beloved angel's attention without lifting a darn finger!"

"I second that. What does Namine Lacemere see in him? All he does is read and messing around with food," the deer-suitor grimaced, showing his dislike in the blond's pointless hobbies.

"Agree. He's not a hunter too. I bet he doesn't even know how to use a weapon or how to fight with one! How can he protect Lady Lacemere with those lanky arms of his?! He's nothing like his parents," The wolf-suitor groused with a deep frown.

Fuu, the usually quiet stoic girl, rolled her eyes at the three nagging suitors. "Obviously because they clicked…" She mumbled.

"What do you mean by that, Ms. Witcher?" The deer-suitor urged.

"Commonality. Clearly you three are lacking it…" The girl said with a cross of her arms.

"C-Commonality?" He repeated, letting out a snort then folded his arms too. "Of course Lady Lacemere and I have things in common. We both respect her grandmother, we both like the piano and… erm… we both like chicken salad?" The deer-suitor stuttered, failing to come up any more similarities between him and his crush.

"The whole townspeople like Granny Lacemere, so that worth close to nothing. There's no use to liking the piano if you don't know how to play and impress. Finally, chicken salad? I know that is a lie; you order steaks all the time," Seifer pointed out and the bachelor's face went as red as his clothing.

"A-Are you trying to side with that Strife boy?" The rabbit-suitor accused and the other wooers quickly voiced their assumption as well.

"No," Seifer answered without hesitation.

"Then why are you protecting him?"

"I am  _not_  protecting Roxas Strife. I am protecting Namine Lacemere. I allowed Namine to walk him home because she trusted him, and I will respect her wish and judgment."

"Then why did you belittle him?" The wolf-suitor made a sideway nod towards the deer-suitor.

"I'm not belittling him. I'm simply stating the facts that his 'commonalities' with Namine are nonexistent, thus, unsuitable to be Namine's courter."

The deer-suitor gasped at the blatant insult, but Namine's bodyguards showed no remorse.

"Y-You all are definitely siding Strife!" The offended wooer yelled. "If you really care about Namine, you should know  _he_  too is also  _not_  suitable! Namine Lacemere should stop seeing him!"

Seifer strut towards the young man, easily towering him as he growled, "Do you think I don't know that? Strife may not be a warrior like his family, but he has yet to do anything to harm or discomfort Namine Lacemere. Namine herself had shared that she enjoyed the time she got to spend with him."

The deer-suitor unknowingly took a step back, feeling vulnerable under the taller man's intense glare. "Y-You trusted him?"

Seifer sighed deeply at the question. "To a certain degree, yes. However…" He turned his gaze to the direction the blond had gone off to not long ago. "If I found out he had hurt or is considered being a harm to Namine…" His fist tightened. "I will not forgive him."

* * *

Roxas covered his nose with a hand just in time as another sneeze attacked him, sending a wave of goosebumps down his spine. "Excuse me, Namine." He sniffed and promptly cleaned himself up as much as possible.

"It's alright, Roxas. You must be catching a cold, so remember to warm yourself up right after you reach home," Namine told him as if he was a child and Roxas couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry about that, Namine. Aunt Aerith will make sure of it."

The blonde woman nodded with a satisfied smile before turning her attention back to the book in her hands, turning the illustrated pages until she stumbled upon a certain plant. "Oh! This is it!"

"What? What is it?" Roxas craned his neck curiously to get a better look at the watercolor artwork, which depicted a plant with pale purple bell-shaped flowers and single berry painted a shiny black. At the top of the page, written in beautiful calligraphy, was its name: Atropa Belladonna.

"The deadly nightshade? What's it doing in there?" The spiky-haired young man queried mostly to himself, but his female companion answered him nonetheless.

"The botanist wrote that even though it is a book about edible wild plants, he believes it is important to include the top 5 most poisonous plants too, so foragers don't mistake them for similar edible one." Namine traced the berry in a slow circle. "You know, I almost ate one of these berries before, when I was a kid."

Roxas took in a sharp intake of air, surprised by his friend's almost-near-death story. "N-No way. Surely you didn't eat them?"

"Of course not," Namine giggled. "I said 'almost', didn't I? And if I did eat them, I wouldn't be standing beside you right now, would I?"

"A-Ah… Of course! That was silly of me. It's just… I'd read that only two of those berries are enough to be fatal for kids. To know a friend almost ate them once it's…" Roxas mused before quickly asked, "What or who stopped you from eating them? Granny Lacemere?"

"It was another forager nearby." A gentle smile present on her face as she recollected the past. "Lectured me hard too. He never told me the name though, only that the plant is poisonous; berries, leaves and all." She looked back down to the pages, skimming through the description of the plant. "It feels good to finally know what it's called. Atropa Belladonna… Such a pretty name."

"Yeah. Fits the plant too; ties with its… deadly beauty." Roxas bit his lower lip as he mulled over Namine's story. "You're no longer foraging for Granny Lacemere, right?"

Namine looked up from the book and gave her friend a curious look. "Not since I turned 15. Why?"

Roxas shook his head. "It's nothing. It's just… If you still do, the book can be yours to keep and use. There's nothing more important than keeping you safe."

"Oh!" The young woman uttered with a faint blush. "That's very thoughtful and sweet of you, Roxas. Thank you, but rest assured, I won't be foraging for quite a while."

Roxas sent her a kind smile then nodded.

Soon, the two young adults arrived at Roxas's home and saw Aerith standing not far from the stable with a saddled up Buster, his gray coat shone a silvery sheen under the late afternoon light. The brunette turned to face the duo as they approached and teased at the sight of them, "Look who finally decided to come back, and bringing home a lady friend? I hope dear Namine here isn't one of the 'stuff' you went to get, Roxy. That is just plain disrespectful."

"Certainly not, Aunt Aerith," Roxas informed with a sigh, fully expected his godmother to tease him something along that line.

Wanting to save her friend from further embarrassment, Namine jumped in to explain, "I offered to walk Roxas home, Mrs. Fair. He got this book—" she lifted it up to show Aerith the cover "—from Hayner and it reminded me of the times I forage as a kid. I find it nostalgic so I asked if I can browse through it."

"I see. Well, since you're here, would you like to stay for dinner? Unfortunately, I won't be able to join, but I'm sure Roxy here can still be a good dinner host without my presence," Aerith proposed and smiled when she noticed her godson rolled his eyes playfully at her nickname for him.

Namine simply shook her head. "I'm afraid I will have to turn down your generous offer, Mrs. Fair. Granny is expecting me to go home for dinner tonight."

"Oh, I understand. Another time, then? We could have your grandmother over too. The more the merrier." Aerith's brown eyes gleamed at the thought, the house has been too quiet with just two occupants.

"That sounds lovely. I'll let you know our answer after I asked Granny," Namine told Aerith before turned to face Roxas and handed the book back. "Thank you for letting me read it, Roxas. It was very kind of you."

"It was nothing." The young man informed, accepting the book and tugged it beneath his arm. "Remember, if you ever need it—"

"I'll come find you. No worries; I've kept it in mind." Bidding them farewell with a sweet smile and elegant bow, Namine turned on her heels and walked back to her own abode. After the blonde's form was no longer in sight, Aerith playfully nudged her godson with her elbow. "Namine is such a sweet and considerate girl. She would make a great daughter-in-law, wouldn't you agree Roxas?"

Roxas sighed at the obvious hint but his cheeks did flush a light pink in embarrassment. "Aunt Aerith, I've told you before, I view Namine more like a sister and a friend than…" His words trailed off then a soft breath escaped his nose. "Can we not talk about this? You have to get to Radiant Garden before dark, right?"

The brunette pouted at Roxas but decided to give him a break. "Fine, fine. Can't blame a woman wanting her godson to have a good wife." She patted their horse by the snout one more time then gestured the young man to follow her. "Come on then. I have 5 big pots I need your help with. I already moved the smaller one into the cart before you came back."

After quickly deposited his books in the house, Roxas hurried to the decent-sized wooden cart they owned and found his godmother had already climbed in.

"See those plants with the ribbons?" Aerith pointed over to her garden, and true to her words, Roxas spotted pots of flowers with a small pink ribbon tied around their stems. He nodded. "Those are the one I planned to take to the floral event. So, use those muscles of yours and help carry them to me. I'll take over from there on."

"Sure," Roxas said and began his work.

One by one, each of the five flower pots was carried over and lifted up to Aerith, who then place the pots into the cart before adjusting them, making sure they wouldn't topple over during the journey later. With one last heave, Roxas lifted the final flower container onto the cart's edge, and with Aerith's help, slowly lowering it into the wooden transport so its heavy weight wouldn't crack the panels below.

Aerith tucked a stray hair strand behind her ear as she examined her prized flowers. "Wow! I did not expect it to be so heavy. Good thing you're here to help out, Roxy." She sent the young man a thankful smile then climbed out of the cart (while refusing Roxas's offer to help) and landed onto the grassy ground with a puff.

"It's getting rather late, Aunt Aerith." Roxas began as he led Buster over and strapped the cart onto him. "Can you reach Radiant Garden by nightfall? It's a 2 hours journey, and even though Buster is a strong boy, he can't run fast with the cart this heavy." The blond fastened and secured the straps one last time before turning to face his godmother. "Do you have to leave tonight? Why not early tomorrow morning?"

Aerith gave him a small smile and replied, "I already booked a room at the inn, and both the manager and organizer of the event wanted to see the flowers so they could arrange a suitable spot for me." Aerith pulled out a burgundy cloak she had placed into the cart earlier and put them on.

"Still… Do you really have to?" Roxas stressed, finger twirling around Buster's rein anxiously.

"This is only my second entry into Radiant Garden's Winter Flower Festival. It wouldn't be a good idea to ruin their impression of me if I plan to work with them again in the future. Besides, I plan to take the old road; it'll save me an hour."

Roxas's face paled at the statement. "The old road? Y-You mean the one near the castle? Aunt Aerith, you can't use that! Wolves are common there; it's dangerous!"

"I know, Roxas. But the new road that goes around will take more time, you said so yourself. Going through the woods is the fastest option." Aerith comforted the blond with a pat on his shoulder and mounted Buster, but Roxas hesitated to pass her the rein.

"B-But… the wolf pack… You might get seriously hurt, Aunt Aerith. Or even di—" Roxas cut himself off with a firm shake of his head then urged with a shaking gasp. "Please reconsider this." His breathing turned shallower, the pounding in his ears was deafening and just when Roxas started to lose the feeling in his fingers, a gentle hand laid onto the top of his head, fingers threading through his hair. A wave of nostalgia washed over the blond and his form relaxed into the simple contact from his godmother, the throbbing pain in his chest subsided.

"Don't worry too much, Roxas. The wolf pack dwells in the deepest part of the woods, as long as I stay away from there, I'll be safe. I promise you, if anything goes wrong, I'll come right home or make the next best course of action that ensures my safety." Aerith stroke Roxas's head once more, his hair just as soft and fine as she remembered back when he was a kid. It was no mystery he inherited the spikiness of it from his father. "Trust me, alright?"

Roxas sighed deeply and handed the rein over to the brunette, albeit still hesitant. "Fine. Just… remember to send me a messenger chocobo once you reach there, promise? I won't sleep until I hear from you."

"Promise," Aerith answered and laid a small motherly peck on his head, causing the blond to smile from the fond memories that action had dug up. "So, back to a lighter topic. Are there anything you want me to bring back for you?"

"Books. Books would be nice."

Aerith pouted at the request good-naturedly. "Again? How can I make sure I won't bring back a book you have either already owned or read this time around, huh?"

Roxas chuckled at the tease. "Send me a message with the titles and authors, maybe?"

"Oh," Aerith muttered, bringing a finger to her lip. "That could work. Why didn't I think of that?"

The blond young man snickered and shook his head. "Come on, Aunt Aerith. It's best if you don't stall the time; night's coming soon."

"Alright alright. Be a good boy while I'm gone." Aerith clicked her tongue and Buster moved forwards, pulling the cart out onto the dusty path and towards the route to Radiant Garden.

Roxas stood by the edge of the road, watching his godmother receding form. Fear and concern still weighed heavily on his heart, and every muscle in his body screamed at him to run and stop her. The thought of this could be the last time he saw the brunette managed to cause his stomach to somersault and almost empty its content. But he forced himself to stay, for he trusted Aunt Aerith and knew she could take care of herself.

"Aunt Aerith!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Stay safe, okay?!"

He saw his godmother turned to look back at him then promptly gave him a wave. She got his message loud and clear. Focusing her attention back onto the road before her, Aerith snapped the rein and Buster increased his pace. Soon, they made a curve, over and down a hill, before finally disappeared from Roxas's sight.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to them, nightfall will come much earlier than both of them expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all for Chapter 1. I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was worth such a long wait. The next chapter would be shorter, if everything goes as planned and no more surprises, it would be out faster than this chapter did.
> 
> I would like to thank:  
> shiibe, Nightmare_Troubadour and 9 guests for the kudos!  
> RoastedButter for the story's first comment here!  
> Thank you all! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Do drop a comment, kudo or bookmark(or subscribe? What are the difference between these two?) to share your thoughts. They make me so happy. *heart*


	3. Chapter 2: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm back with an update! I'm so sorry for the wait. Again...
> 
> Life has been tiring but productive for the past months. As I mentioned before, my beta-reading friend was going through some tough time and I was figuring out my life. Well, my friend has been doing much better and I did make a change in my usual routine by picking up a new skill - crocheting. It is oddly therapeutic, and I found myself really enjoying it. So, I'm learning and trying my best at scheduling my time, so I can juggle my full-time work, crochet projects & commissions, hobbies, and writing, so I can deliver the chapters out faster for you lovely readers. The kudos I received from you all are my motivation. <3
> 
> Another reason for this late update is... well... I don't think my writing was good enough. In the past months, I have been reading a couple of books and many, very well-written fanworks, and I just can't help but compare their writing skills with mine. The character developments, pacing, setup, the 'show, don't tell', and excellent grammar! I want to write like them. I want my stories to be great like theirs. So, I ended up revising this story as a whole again.
> 
> Changes were made, more chapters were added, and all I can do now is write on, revise and hope it'll do justice.
> 
> I now present to you, Chapter 2. Please enjoy.

_"Soothsayer?"_

_"Yes, dear. And I have something for you…"_

〜∗〜∗〜 Charming and The Witch 〜∗〜∗〜

"Come on, Buster boy. You can do this! Pull!"

Aerith urged as she pushed the back of the cart with all her might. The wooden wheel squeaked and groaned from the pressure but it remained firmly stuck in the deep hole in the ground. The brunette huffed and stopped her attempt at freeing it, swiping stray hairs from her face with a dejected look.

Her journey from Twilight Town to Radiant Garden has been going disastrously. The middle-aged woman had chosen to use the shorter, old road through the woods rather than the new one around it to save traveling time. However, instead of reaching the capital an hour earlier as she planned, Aerith found herself held back longer than she ever expected.

At first, the obstacles she faced wasn't awful; just a few rotten tree trunks that had fallen onto the road, blocking further access. Moving them to the side had been easy enough with a spare rope she had brought along and their family horse, Buster's strength.

But as she traveled deeper into the barren woods, the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, funneling loose soil into a newly made hole. It would have swallowed half of the cart too if Aerith hasn't urged Buster to move forward quick enough.

Soon after that, another hole caved in mere inches from one of the wheels. Aerith snapped the rein to keep Buster and the cart moving forwards, knowing they cannot stay there any longer.

For a duration of their journey, the ground had caved in three more times, but none were as big or deep as the first. Although Aerith noted that each of them formed near either one of the wheels or Buster's footing as they rode on. Just when she thought they'll be fine, the cart suddenly tilted and pulled them to a halt that almost threw Aerith off-balance and onto the dirt.

And that was how she found herself standing behind her cart, trying desperately to free the wheel that was stuck half-way into the hole for Goddess knows how long.

"It must have been the weight…" The brunette deduced earlier, after observing the hole with a frown. There were no roots holding the soil together and the dry ground simply couldn't take the heavy load of the wooden cart. She had not expected this old road to be in such a non-travel-friendly state.

Aerith let out a frustrated sigh. The sky was getting darker by the seconds and the chilly air bit through her cloak. She regretted not taking Roxas's advice on leaving the next early morning. This shortcut surely wasn't worth it.

"Alright, Buster. Let's try one more time," Aerith told her horse. "On the count of three, pull as hard as you can. One… Two…" The brunette grasped onto the bottom edge of the cart. "Three!"

With all the strength she could muster, she tried lifting the cart up. She felt the vehicle shifted as Buster pulled, but it wasn't budging until she heard the wood groaned, the cart began to right itself and _thump_! The wheel was finally free!

"Thank you, Goddess!" Aerith cheered before hurried to Buster's side and pet his neck gratefully. "You never fail me, Buster, my boy." The gray-coat horse simply gave a low grunt in response and leaned into his owner's touch.

"This must be so tiring for you. Let's head home and travel again tomo—"

" _Arooooooooo_ _!_ "

Buster shot his head up with a loud snort, shifting from hoof to hoof, spooked by the call of a predator. "Calm down, Buster. Easy there," Aerith cooed, grasping onto the rein and tugged, gesturing him to lower his head while stroking his neck. When Buster had calmed down significantly, more howls joined the first, each sounding closer and louder than the last. If that chorus of cries was the cue to leave the area, Aerith didn't need to be told twice.

"We got to go." With haste, the brunette mounted Buster and urged him to a trot then into a fast canter. The flower pots shook and clanked loudly in the rattling cart, but even with those noises, she could hear them — a distance away from her, among the dark bark of the trees, the howling of the wolves echoed through the chill of the night, and the sound of leaves crunching and twigs breaking under their heavy paws.

Aerith felt the beginnings of panic settling in, cramping her chest, making it hard to breathe and think properly. She can't turn back but with night fallen, continuing on through the woods was risky too. There might be more obstacles ahead and they won't have time to remove them with a pack of wolves at their heels.

She heard growls and instinctively looked over her shoulder. She could see them now — emerging from the shadow of the trees and onto the rundown path, chasing after them with mouth back in a snarl, revealing their sharp teeth and hunger-filled eyes.

"Faster, Buster!" She commanded the horse into a gallop, the cart shook heavily on the uneven ground and Aerith heard the flower pots toppled over. She was sure some of them had cracked, but that wasn't something to be concerned about at the moment.

They galloped on, dodging any low-lying tree branches, skirted around a fallen trunk, and through thorny bushes that grew onto the path. Aerith felt the stray twigs and thorns cut her skin, but adrenaline dulled the pain.

Aerith looked over her shoulder to see the pack of wolves gaining on them. At this rate, Aerith knew she and her horse would end up as wolves' meal.

"Oh Goddess, help me," The brunette prayed, cold sweat clung to her brows, and her knuckles clutched the rein so tightly they were turning white. The growls were getting closer. Buster couldn't run any faster. The sound of blood in her ears pulsed louder. In the midst of her panic, only one thought dominated her mind: _I_ _'m going to_ _die!_

Just then, an image of a blond-haired boy flashed through her mind. He was standing between two figures with a big smile on his face. A smile she had not seen for so long. No… She can't die here, she promised her. She promised! "Save me, please!"

_CRRAAACCCCKKKKKK!_

Aerith shot her head up to the source of the sound and gasped. A massive tree ahead crackled, its rotten trunk split on one side, causing it to dip towards the path right before her. It was going to fall and block the road!

"Buster!" Aerith ordered frantically as the tree creaked louder and dipped lower and lower. Behind them, the pack — lead by their alphas — inched closer to the cart. _Make it make it make it. Please!_

 _THUUMMMPPPPP_! The giant tree tumbled onto the ground with a deafening crash, sending leaves and dirt beneath to the air, merely inches away from the rider and her cart that sprinted past underneath its collapsing form only milliseconds ago.

Promptly after, Aerith heard loud yelps and whimpers from the wolves, but she didn't look back to check. They galloped on, taking the opportunity to distance themselves from their pursuers, and soon, the surrounding woods was quiet once more.

Not wanting to take any chances, Aerith urged Buster to move on, but she could tell he was exhausted from all the running; his coat damp from sweat and the sound of his panting filled the air. They need a place to rest badly. But where can they be safe from the wolves?

Slowed down to a canter, Aerith glanced around the woods, hoping to spot anything that could act as a temporary shelter. Then, she saw something shining out of the corner of her eye.  A firefly? No. It was white colored and still. It almost looks like a… Light reflection…

"Oh Goddess…" Aerith swiftly steered Buster to the direction of the illumination, hope began to fill her heart. If that was what she thought it was, then they'll be…

Soon, a tall, ornamental wrought iron fence crawled with thick layers of ivy loomed into view, followed by a double-door gate as tall as the barrier connected to it. Under the soft rays of the moonlight, she could barely make out the letter 'V' under all the climbing plants. Past the closed iron gates, just as majestic as she remembered in the past, stood Aerith's only refuge — the Valenhart Castle. 

* * *

"There we go," Aerith breathed, removing the last of the cart's straps from Buster. "Must be more comfortable now, huh?" The gray stallion sighed deeply before nodding once, causing Aerith to smile and stroked his neck affectionately. Buster has always been a smart horse.

"You did great just now. Oh, what am I saying? You're a hero; you saved our lives back there!" Aerith said with a shake of her head, still couldn't believe they had escaped from a pack of hungry wolves and their impending death. "Roxas will be furious if he found out about this." Buster let out a snort as if to voice his agreement.

The brunette gave her horse one last pat on the neck before went to put the straps away in the cart. "Rest here while I go find something to make a fire with, alright?"

After receiving another small nod from Buster, Aerith turned to the ornate oak front door of the castle and pushed it open.

It was about ten minutes ago that she set foot on the Valenhart's Castle ground. The front gate latch had rusted away, leaving the entrance unlocked, thus Aerith had invited herself and Buster in. Although the castle still stood grand, its once dirt-free white walls also fell victim to crawling ivies, and the large garden that was once tended by gardeners and even the late Queen herself was overgrown with tall grass, weeds, unkempt shrubs, long-dead flower beds and deformed topiary.

She let out a wistful sigh at the sight of the castle's state. Her heart sank deeper as she thought of the cause of it all.

Aerith had parked the cart by the low stone steps of the castle's wide porch. She first unmounted Buster and checked him over for injuries. His legs received a few minor cuts, which had already clotted, much to Aerith's relief. Then, she gave herself a quick check as well. Some thorns and branches had torn the end of her dress, and like Buster, the minor cuts on her arms were healing. The worst one she got was a thin cut across her left cheek. It wasn't deep, but it stung when she touched it.

Relieved that neither of them sustained any severe injuries, Aerith set about unsaddling and unstrapping Buster from the wooden cart so he could rest comfortably. She gave her flower pots a quick inspection and just as she guessed, all of them had fallen over and some flowers even got uprooted. The mess in the cart needed to be attended to, however, a campfire and water were her top priorities. With the incident still fresh in her mind, Aerith chose to search the castle as the safest option.

The heavy oak door creaked and groaned from the long disuse as Aerith pushed it wide enough for her to slip in. The brunette coughed as dust particles struck her face and instinctively brought a hand up to brush them away from her closed eyes. After the door swung closed behind her and the dust settled, Aerith opened her eyes and marveled at the sight before her.

The grand foyer was spacious and breathtaking. The floor was laid with smooth marble tiles and the walls were decorated with multiple framed landscape paintings and unlit, brass candelabra sconces. The ceiling stretched up high and an exquisite crystal chandelier hung down from the center of the room. Each individual crystals were caked with layers of dust and cobwebs, but some still gleamed softly under the moonlight filtered through equally dusty and cracked windows.

Not far before her was an extravagant staircase laid with a worn-out and dulled red carpet with gold borders. It curved inward from a board bottom step up to an intermediate landing, where another oak door shut close on the wall and continued up as twin staircases, connected to the balcony that overlooked the foyer on the second floor.

Aerith stepped further into the foyer with light steps and scanned around. On her left stood a coat hanger and a set of seats and coffee table. The furniture was also covered in a layer of gray dust. The upholstery fabrics had been ripped and coming out at the seams. On her right was a mahogany console table with a single seat situated on both side. On the table was an empty, elegant vase placed upon a lace doily and a candelabra.

 _Candles!_ Aerith perked up at the discovery and rushed over to grab the brass holder. The three candles on it were used , but they will be enough for another half hour of light. _I need matches. Do they keep them nearby?_ Opening the drawers of the console table, Aerith grinned when she found a box of matches. With a flick of her wrist, the short stick came alight between her fingers before Aerith quickly transferred the tiny flame over to the candelabra. After the candles were lit,  she blew out the match and smiled as the candlelight illuminated the space around her with a warm, orange glow.

 _Alright_ _. Now, I need to find water and firewood. The kitchen should have them._ Nodding to her plan, Aerith made her way to the hallway on the right side of the room, hoping it would lead to her destination.

In her hurry to search for the kitchen, the brunette failed to notice the shadow descending the stairway. 

* * *

The door shook as Aerith attempted to push it open by the handle but it remained locked.

She let out a sigh and continued down the dim moon-lit hallway. All the doors she had encountered so far were locked tight, and it was getting frustrating. Surely the formal dining hall and kitchen wouldn't be too far from the foyer.

"Maybe it's down the other wing?" Aerith murmured to herself softly, a habit she developed after her husband had left for the hunt. "Ha… Maybe I'll stumble across the castle's library. I bet Roxas doesn't have books that belong to a royal family."

The brunette snickered, feeling rather silly mumbling all to herself, but it helped to keep her calm. Especially in a dark, cold, and supposedly haunted castle.

Speaking of haunted, Aerith was glad yet confused as to why she hadn't encountered any evil spirits the adventurers back in town swore they had confronted and fought. Then again, none of those adventurers had scars or injuries to prove their 'battle with the ghouls', so their stories could be fabricated. Right?

**_"What?"_ **

Aerith froze at the spot, a chill ran up her spine. W-Was that…?

**_"What did you say?"_ **

It was coming from behind her. A female voice. She was sure of it; she wasn't hearing things.

 **_"You_ ** **_'re going to_ ** **_steal from here?"_ **

Aerith could hear footsteps — the familiar tapping of heels — coming down the hallway, letting the presence of the speaker known. She didn't even dare to turn and peek when the footsteps came to a stop.

 **_"You_ ** **_'re going to_ ** **_steal the books!?"_ **

Although restrained, anger was clear in her voice; rumbling, dangerous and dripping with disgust. The florist flinched as the words struck her. "N-No! I-I… I didn't mean…"

**_"Face me when you speak, thief!"_ **

Aerith recoiled at the hostility but did as she was told, in fear of getting hurt.

"Oh Goddess…" Aerith gasped when her eyes landed on the newcomer. There, stood about 20 feet from her, was none other than the one who began the war, and the one who took their beloved king's life — the Mother of Witchcraft.

The brunette let out a shaky breath and took a step back. Her grip on the candelabra trembled as she inspected the woman before her.

The witch was donned in full black; a long-sleeved dress covered her from neck to toes, her hands hidden under black gloves, and her face was also concealed behind a thick, black veil that fell from the witch hat's wide brim. Not a patch of skin was visible and if it wasn't for the moonlight trickling in through the curtains, she would have blended perfectly with the darkness in the hallway.

 **_"You entered my domain uninvited,"_ ** Mother of Witchcraft began, her voice remained low and powerful. **_"And you dare to steal from me!?"_ **

"N-No!" Aerith defended. Even though she noticed they shared almost the same height, the Mother of Witchcraft stood with such an air of importance and authority that the brunette almost felt compelled to kneel or bow down before her. "I didn't mean to steal any books at all. I voiced it out, but I never plan to act on it." Aerith gulped, clutching her cloak tightly in front of her pounding chest. "I-I… I'm sorry for entering the castle, but I only want to search for some firewood and water for the night."

 **_"Silence! Don't you lie_ ** **_to me_ ** **_!"_ ** Aerith eyes widened as the darkness around the witch twitched and distorted. **_"You planned to steal! And no one…"_ ** The shadows on the floor twisted then merged, grew in size and formed into what resembled two clawed hands.

 **_"TAKES MY BOOKS!"_ ** The shadow hands launched towards the brunette, sliding across the floor like pythons. Aerith yelped and turned to run, but the hands caught up fast and grabbed her by the ankle. They pulled harshly and Aerith fell, knocking the wind out of her as she hit the floor hard. The candelabra dropped with a clatter to the ground, plunging the hallway back into the shadow.

Aerith groaned and gasped, trying to draw air back into her lungs as she attempted to crawl away by her elbows. However, the clawed hands were stronger, pulling her towards their mistress. She looked over her shoulder at the witch who held up a gloved hand, a swirling orb of silver-colored energy hovered above the open palm.

Knowing it was magic at first glance, fright consumed every cell in her body and a raw sob tore loose from within her. "P-Please! Believe me! I didn't plan to steal anything! I swear!"

 **_"A liar and a thief like you should just stay quiet,"_ ** the witch muttered coldly then flung the magic orb at the terrified woman.

Aerith's piercing scream echoed throughout the castle before it eventually faded away. 

* * *

Roxas shut the book then finished the remaining tea he had made with flowers harvested from Aerith's garden. He let out a sigh of content, feeling the hot drink warming him up as he leaned back in the chair. Winter was fast approaching, and the night was getting colder and colder. Roxas glanced over at the fireplace, making sure the fire he made hadn't gone out before looking back to the book in his hand.

The words ' _After the Salt-Water Lake Dried by Hope Estheim'_ were etched across its simple and plain dark blue cover, free from any gilt pattern work and finishing. Roxas let out a soft sigh, rubbing his thumb across the book's leather bound. Whenever old memories resurfaced, Roxas would find himself rereading it from start to finish in one seating. The book helped him; then and now.

Stood up from his seat, Roxas walked over to the small bookshelf in the living area and shelved the book away. He hoped Aerith had read it too. He never asked.

Picking up his cup, Roxas entered the kitchen to rinse it clean.

His stomach rumbled slightly as he was drying the teacup with a towel. Earlier, he couldn't think of eating dinner without having his stomach somersaulting. But after the cup of flower tea, he was feeling so much more relaxed than before and his appetite came back demanding something filling. _Well,_ Roxas thought and placed the cloth away. _I think a simple meal should suffice._

 _Tacatac_ _tacatac_ _…_

Roxas stopped his move to shelf the cup as his ears picked up on a familiar sound. He furrowed his brows in confusion and strained his ears to hear it better.

 _Tacatac_ _tacatac_ _tacatac_ _…_

There it was again. Getting louder… Closer…

Roxas felt his chest tighten when he figured out the source of the sound. It had been roughly past two hours since they bid farewell. Aunt Aerith should be settled in Radiant Garden by now. Did she decide to turn back? Why? Did something happen?

The blond's heart pounded, his hands began to feel clammy and turning numb. His mind raced a hundred miles per second, trying to think of a viable reason for Aunt Aerith's return, until the sound of broken porcelain snapped him out of it.

"Goddess' wounds…" Roxas cursed and backed away cautiously, aware of the broken shards now littered the floor. His back collided with a table and the young man leaned heavily onto it to steady himself from a wave of lightheadedness. _Calm down, Roxas! Don't overthink this! It could be another rider. It doesn't have to be Aunt Aerith!_

He took in a few slow, controlled breaths to calm his trembling form and regulated his breathing, but concern and fear still got the better of him. He strode over to the front door and opened it just enough to peer out.

A gush of cold air blew past him, sending goosebumps across his flesh, but Roxas continued to look searchingly to the fields for any incoming rider. The sound of cantering was clearer outside; the hooves battering heavily against the dirt path.

Roxas waited a few more seconds before he saw it; the silhouette of a horse cantering over the hills and towards town. He swore he felt a cold grip squeezed his heart. The horse was alone. Not a rider in sight.

 _It_ _could be a wild horse._ _It_ _could be a wild horse._ _It_ _could be a wild horse._ Roxas repeated it over and over in his head, but as the running animal came close enough to be illuminated by the porch's candlelight, Roxas felt his stomach dropped.

It was Buster. Unsaddled and riderless.

Riderless…

Oh Goddess of Kingdom Hearts… Aunt Aerith!!!

Roxas burst out of the house and onto the grass. "Buster!" He called out as the horse slowed to a trot and stopped not far from his owner. The young man rushed up to him, noticing the poor creature was sweating and panting heavily. Roxas quickly examined him for any injuries that could be signs of wolves attack. Fortunately, there were none, but the new minor cuts on his legs worried him all the same.

"What happened?! Where's Aunt Aerith?!" The blond inquired frantically.

Buster shifted his footings, tilted and nodded his head back where he came. To the direction of the woods where Aerith headed off earlier. The woods where a pack of wolves roamed.

Without another word, Roxas dashed into his home, snatched his winter cloak from the coat hanger and bolted back out. The blond speedily wore the warm outer garment then mounted Buster. Riding without a saddle would be incredibly uncomfortable, but the young man didn't care for he quickly instructed, "Bring me to her, Buster! Go, boy!"

Responded with a neigh, Buster turned on his hooves and galloped off, back towards the woods in the cold, dark night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Chap 2. What happened to Aerith and will Roxas make it to the castle in time? Find out in the next chapter!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the story so far and thank you so much for coming back after such a huge time gap between this chapter and the previous one. Hope this chapter was worth the wait as well. If you have spotted any grammatical errors, don't hesitate to inform me about it. I accept constructive criticism and ways to improve your reading experience.
> 
> I would like to thank:  
> SupperBiscuit, shibyn, Nightmare_Troubadour and 15 guests for the kudos!  
> RoastedButter, Hellvetica, and Nightmare_Troubadour for the comments!  
> Thank you all!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Do drop a comment, kudo, bookmark and/or subscribe to share your thoughts and love. They are the greatest gift for a writer. *heart*


	4. Chapter 3: Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> U-Um... I'm back? *Immediately get attacked by enraged readers*
> 
> I'm so sorry! The past 2 months have been a peak period at work and... this chapter is quite hard to write for some reason. It became so long (10,000 words!) that my great friend suggested that I split it to two in order not to bombard you guys too much information at once. And so, I did. Yup, people. This is part 1 of the original chapter 3's length. The next chapter is currently being read by my friend and once she gave me the green light, it'll be posted soon!
> 
> Once again, I'm so sorry for this super late update. I apologize if it is not as great as you are expecting; after days of not writing due to work and events, I think my writing skill had dropped significantly. But I hope it'll be acceptable.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_She stared at the offered wrinkly hand._

_Her mind screamed caution…_ … … _But the temptation was strong._

_She bit her lower lip, then accepted._

〜∗〜∗〜 Charming and The Witch 〜∗〜∗〜

"Toss her out." A female dressed fully in black commanded before making a move to leave.

A male voice promptly halted her steps. "But Mistress, the horse had run off not long ago and—"

"So?" The female cut in. "I do not see why that is a hindrance to your order."

"Mistress, it's dark out and with the wolves about—"

"Wolves _can't_ enter the property. You know that." She eyed her servant briefly then questioned, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, Mistress. I merely think casting the woman out to the cold is…"

"… … …Fine. Bring her to him and keep a close eye on her."

* * *

"Aunt Aerith, where are you?" Roxas Strife muttered under his breath, glancing around the barren woods for any sign of his godmother. They had been galloping for what felt like hours and Roxas began to feel the strain of riding saddleless. It was a miracle he hadn't fallen off Buster yet.

The blond ducked his head lower to avoid another low-lying branch, leaning forward and closer to Buster. He could feel the powerful back muscles of their family stallion at work, his coat and mane damp from sweat, and his heart thumped fast and strong in his chest.

Roxas's own heart was beating just as fast.

_Where could Aunt Aerith be? Why is Buster saddleless? Could she be in Radiant Garden already? But why would Buster come back for help? It doesn't make sense!_ The young man gulped heavily as an unpleasant thought came next. _What if she was heavily injured and…_

Instantaneously, Roxas felt a wave of nausea overcame him. _No… No!_ He clenched his fists tighter onto Buster's mane, struggling to keep his balance from the growing dizziness. _Aunt Aerith is strong! Goddess forbids, don't you ever dare think she's gone!_

He tried to gulp but failed, his chest heaving so fast it hurt. _Aunt Aerith's fine! Uncle Zack always said she's a tough cookie._

Roxas let out a shaky gasp then breathed in a long breath, filling his lungs. _She's fine! She's fine!_

He chanted that mantra over and over in his head until he could breathe normally and the vertigo subsided.

When Roxas managed to get a secure grip on his emotions, he noticed a change in Buster's speed. The stallion was cantering.

_Are we near?_ The blond leaned back and switched into the appropriate sitting position. He looked up in time to see a tall iron fence up ahead at his right, covered heavily by climbing ivy and rusted in numerous areas.

Roxas perked up at the sight. A fence meant a property, and within a property there's shelter, and shelter provides protection from the element. _She'll be fine. Please let her be fine._

The canter transitioned into a trot seconds before Buster made a turn and passed through two wide-open gates. Roxas couldn't stop the soft utter of 'wow' from his mouth when he was greeted by the magnificent view of the ValenhartCastle. He had read and saw illustrations of the residence back home, but seeing it with his own eyes was a whole new experience. He never imagined the castle to be so massive. It was smaller than the one in the capital, but its size was not one to scoff at either. Roxas almost need to tilt his head back all the way back just to see the top of the highest roof.

Buster slowed to a walk and stopped at the castle's porch, where Roxas noticed Aerith had parked the cart. The spiky-haired blond quickly dismounted and rushed over to the cart to examine it. The wooden vehicle earned a few new cracks on the wheels and the sight of the overturned flower pots unnerved Roxas. Something had happened. Something bad.

"The saddle and bridle are in the cart," Roxas muttered, walking back to the gray stallion. "She's in the castle right, Buster?"

The horse nodded, panting heavily from all the running he had done in the past hours.

"Good boy, Buster." Roxas shrugged off his winter cloak then draped it onto the horse's back as a makeshift blanket. "Rest right here, boy. I'll bring Aunt Aerith back. I promise."

With that, Roxas rushed up to the castle's front door.

"Aunt Aerith!" The young man's shout penetrated the silence of the castle as he burst in, echoing down the empty hallways. He didn't react when the heavy door slammed shut behind him; too preoccupied with yelling his lungs out. "It's me, Roxas! Where are you?!" He would have taken the time to appreciate the exquisite decors in the foyer if his mind wasn't so fixated on his goal.

"Can you hear me?! Aunt Aerith! Answer me!" The blond called out, straining his ears to listen for his godmother's voice, then stiffened.

He heard something from above him, up at the balcony that overlooked the foyer. It was faint, so slight and distant, it might have been a product of his imagination. But he swore to Goddess he heard it, it was real — the whisperings.

_'… newcomer…_ … … _in one night…'_

_'… the woman…_ … _don't…_ … _return…'_

_'… no…_ … _chance…_ … … _down…'_

"A-Aunt Aerith?" Roxas uttered uncertainly. "Is that you?"

Like a shot, the whispers died. The whole foyer fell back into silence, the only sound left was Roxas's controlled breathing. The young man craned his neck, trying to spot anything — or anyone — above, but all he could see was darkness. Who could it be? Stories shared in the restaurant where he worked resurfaced in his mind, but he pushed them aside. Those tales were told from lips that had drunk mug after mug of ale. They were gibberish, incoherent, and lacked evidence. His verdict was simple: The spirits they spoke of didn't exist. For if spirits do exist, _it_ would have worked. "Who's there?"

Silence answered him and Roxas felt apprehensive about climbing the stairs to check on the source. "Goddess… Maybe I am hearing things?" He groaned in frustration, bringing a hand up to massage his temple.

His action was halted when a glowing yellow orb revealed itself from the balcony and descended towards him. Caught in surprise, Roxas could only stare as the orb glided down in a manner that was almost… innocent.

_A firefly?_ The blond contemplated then dismissed it as impossible. _No. It's too big; about the size of my fist._ The orb stopped an arm's reach from his face, hovering in the air as if out of curiosity. _Too bright too. And the color is different; there's a tint of… white?_

The glowing orb moved again, slowly circling around his form as if it was his boss from the restaurant, inspecting him and the rest of the staff, making sure their uniform and appearance were clean and presentable for the day.

Whenever the orb drew near his peripheral vision, Roxas would turn his body so he could keep his eyes on the strange sphere. Clearly, this orb was uncommon in nature. He racked his brain, searching through all the information he had read over the years, but nothing came up close to what was before him. For that meantime, he stayed quiet and watched the orb carefully, anticipating for its next movement.

After it circled around him twice, Roxas noticed something on the orb's surface that wasn't there before. It was a single, horizontal line; its length half of the sphere's diameter. His brows furrowed. _What's that?_

Suddenly, the line twitched and split apart, revealing an eye. Roxas yelped in shock, stumbling back.

The piercing cyan-colored eye fixated on the young man, its unblinking gaze sent shivers down his spine. The next thing he knew, the glowing sphere floated toward him.

Roxas promptly backed away, heart hammering hard in his chest as he desperately tried to find a solution. _What should I do—what should I do—what in the name of Kingdom Hearts is_ _ **that**_ _?!_

As if it feeds on fear, the whole eye shifted to a side before an identical eye formed right next to it. The pair of eyes took up almost half of the orb's upper body, the midnight black pupils staring him down as it continued to creep closer.

"What in the world are you?! Stay away!" Roxas commanded, but it was to no avail. He soon found himself backed up against a dusty couch. The yellow orb inched closer. His hand frantically searched behind his back for anything of use. When his fingers touched something loose, he didn't think twice, just grabbed it and hurled it towards the glowing orb.

The orb evaded the attack easily, but it did cut short its advancement. The pair of eyes shifted its gaze to the item that had landed on the floor, which turned out to be an old cushion, before back at the thrower. Roxas gulped, looking at his harmless weapon in defeat then focusing back on the floating sphere. _What will it do now? Attack me for attacking it? Or_ —

Out of the blue, the astomatous orb laughed.

"W-What…?"

Its laughter was a low rumbling with a crackling undertone, like the sound of an approaching thunderstorm heavy with rain and lightning. The pair of eyes were closed, its round body trembled as if it was a normal person, roaring with laughter until their stomach aches. Roxas stood transfixed, trying to comprehend the unforeseen sight in front of him. All of a sudden, a sharp crack emitted from the orb. Its laughter grew louder, higher in pitch, and accompanied with what sounded like cracking bones.

Roxas sucked in a breath. The orb was growing bigger, a large mouth split across its face, almost the whole bottom part, revealing rows of dangerous knifelike teeth. By the time its laughter had subsided, the orb had grown at least fifty times its previous size. Its glow was so bright it illuminated half of the foyer.

"Oh Goddess…" Roxas muttered, hoping his eyes were playing tricks him. Please, oh please let it be anything else but _this_! "It looks like a Bomb…"

Indeed, the innocent-looking orb from before now looked almost identical with a type of monsters that lived in a faraway land, named 'Bomb'. "This can't be one though…" Roxas observed. "The books describe them as a ball of red fire with hands. But… This is…" Different. It glowed a bright yellowish-white, numerous long and slim jagged white lines skittered across the surface. Its large eyes were cyan instead of orange and it also lacked the distinguished clawed hands all Bomb monsters possessed. So, if it was not a Bomb… "What are you?"

The creature sent him what resembled a smirk; the edge reaching its eye.

_**"**_ _ **I'm**_ _**your worst nightmare."**_

It lunged at Roxas with astounding speed, its mouth wide open and baring razor-sharp teeth. Roxas dodged the monster at the last few seconds, and landed on his side, kicking up dust into the air. He coughed and groaned from the impact, wiping a hand across his face while using the other to push himself back to his knees.

The young man turned to the giant orb just in time to see it arched into the air then dived straight at him. He ducked, and the monster flew passed right above him, leaving a crackling sound in its trail. "Ugh!" Roxas grunted, covering his ears from a sharp pain the noise had caused.

_**"Careful now… Cause here I come!"**_ Roxas dodged the next attack with a roll. The monster missed his boots by only an inch.

He cursed lowly. Defenseless and obviously overpowered, Roxas knew he had to leave before it was too late. That monster was playing with him; like a cat playing with its prey. Eventually, it will grow bored and land the final, deadly blow.

Ignoring the slight ringing in his ears, once the blond saw his chance, he scrambled up to his feet and ran, towards the left hallway which was closest to him.

_**"Yes! Run, mortal, run! But we will have you!**_ _ **Gwa**_ _**ha**_ _**ha**_ _**ha**_ _ **!"**_ Roxas heard the monster bellowed behind him, but he didn't bother to turn and check if it was pursuing him. He came here with one thing and only one thing in mind, and Goddess forbids if he decided to ditch it. He _will_ get Aerith Gainsborough Fair out of here even if it kills him.

* * *

A certain lightning monster laughed menacingly before it decided it was enough and the young man was no longer in earshot. With one last chuckle, its large, round body shifted and distorted, and its yellow glow dimmed like a dying ember.

In the end, what hovered in the space where a 'Bomb-look-alike' monster was seconds earlier, was a female silhouette with two antennae-like strands on her head, glowing a soft yellow. Her body from the waist below faded out of existence, concealing her real height. The female crossed her arms and sighed contently. Oh, how much she had missed this feeling!

In the next second, a faintly flickering red orb popped into existence beside her, before it grew and formed into a male silhouette with noticeable long, spiky hair. Like the female, his lower body also faded into nothingness and his arms were folded too. Him, however, was not happy with the situation at all.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Hmm? You still don't think it is?" The female replied playfully, bringing a finger up to her featureless face.

The man groaned and dragged a hand across the blank face of his own. "No. I don't. Like I said earlier, he clearly came for the woman! We should have just left him be, let him find her and get her home or something."

The female scoffed then placed her hand on her hip. "Whatever. It's been so long since someone showed up. Can't even let me have some fun?"

"Not to the extent where you almost accidentally kill him!"

"Almost?! Accidentally?! HA!!! As if I would; I had it _all_ under control," she assured, chin up like a proud lioness." You see it yourself. No need to get so uptight, flamehead."

"I am not. Plus, ' _I'm your worst nightmare_ '? Really?"

"What? It works all the time before." Memories that exact line brought up caused her to snicker. "Gosh, I miss seeing fear on their pathetic faces. Now… when did I last scared someone? Was it that thief from last Autumn?"

"A savage as always… And no. It was last year's Summer," the man sighed then gestured. "Come on. We need to notify Mistress. After that huge commotion you've caused, I'm sure someone will surely ' _have him_ '."

With a 'tsk' as her reply, the two spirits flew up and faded away.

* * *

Roxas forcefully pushed against the door, and like the two he encountered before, it was locked tight. "Damn it. Come on!" He shook the handles, but the large, heavy doors refused to crack open. "Curses!" Roxas yell then kicked the door in a fit of anger. The bang on wood echoed loudly through the hallway.

"Goddess… How can I find Aunt Aerith at this rate?!" He continued to fume, both his worry and frustration were making him jumpy, like a coiled spring that had been wound too tight. _What if she was locked in a room somewhere? Could she be in one of those I just passed? How can I open them? Where's the key?_

His train of thought was cut short by the sound of a water splash. He glanced around the area, finding nothing out of the ordinary until he looked down. His right shoe was standing in the middle of a water puddle.

"Huh? That wasn't here before." Roxas tried to move his foot away only to realize he couldn't budge. "What the…" He tried again, lifting his leg up as much as he could. He succeeded, but the water clung to his leather boot, like the animal glue Hayner traded from an alchemist from one of his travels back. "What is this?!"

Roxas shook his foot, sending water droplets flying around, but the substance still grasped on tight. Irritated, he continued to thrash about until he lost his balance and fell onto his rear. Roxas groaned from the fall and had just decided to try prying the 'water' off when he noticed it stirred.

The water puddle was growing, but it didn't spread out as it should be, instead, it was growing taller. The water that clung to Roxas's shoe morphed and split until the result had Roxas let out a startled shout. It was a hand. A hand was grabbing him by the ankle.

"Let go! Let me go!!!" The blond yelled, pulling his leg while trying to scramble back with his hands simultaneously. The hand held on, its fingers dug into the leather. The growing puddle rippled and distorted as something began to form.

At first, Roxas couldn't make out what it was. It looked like a huge blob, something half-solid, half-liquid; gooey, thick and lumpy. However, when the water flowed to shape an oval, connected to a short cylinder followed by something broader, the realization struck him.

It was another monster. A humanoid monster.

"Let me go! I said let me go!" Roxas barked, panic seized him as he looked about frantically for something to use but he found nothing. He glanced back at the water monster. It had spawned a second hand.

_Please merciful Goddess, no!_ He could hear the blood pumping in his ears; it was loud, so loud he couldn't hear anything, couldn't think. Couldn't do anything but to tug, tug, tug his foot back madly, desperately wanting nothing but to escape. The monster had just finished forming its torso when finally, Roxas's foot slid out from the tight confinement of his boot.

"Whoa!" He yelped from the sudden release, collapsing backward. The blond wasted no time; lurched to his feet and turned to run. His knees felt like noodles, causing him to stumble. But he pressed on, dashing away from that monstrosity like it was Death itself.

He heard something drop onto the floor before the sound of water splashing began once more. Roxas turned to look over his shoulder and immediately regretted his decision.

The water monster was coming after him. Its long arms stretched far, fingers scrabbling onto the marble tiles, dragging itself towards him with unimaginable speed. Its featureless face let out a low gurgle, and Roxas could feel its nonexistent gaze locked onto him.

_Oh Goddess! Oh Goddess! What should I do?!_ Roxas had no time to react when a window closest to him suddenly flung wide open, and a huge gust of freezing cold wind blasted straight to him. The dusty and moth-eaten curtains flapped loudly in the wind as it blew the young man off his feet and crashed onto the ground.

"Ah!" He yelped, landing on his side. Disoriented from the sudden fall, Roxas pushed himself up from the floor with a groan, only to feel his hands pressed against something small and cold. He turned his hand to examine. "W-What? Ice?"

Without warning, another gust of wind blew into the hallway, glittering under the moonlight. Roxas ducked back down for safety just as it blew past above him, tousling his hair and showering down more pieces of ice.

The sparkling gust of wind twirled in the air before diving back towards him. Roxas had stumbled back to his feet but couldn't react fast enough to the breeze aiming at his face. He wasn't even able to manage a shout when it suddenly curved, missing his head by inches before swiftly circled around him.

The current of air grew bigger and taller, the ice crystals carried by the gale multiplied in number until a whirling wall closely packed with sparkling frost surrounded Roxas, devoid of any escape route.

"It's another monster," Roxas concluded with wide eyes, the spinning wall reminded him of the innocent-looking orb that had tried to kill him not so long ago. "It's trapping me here…" Roxas turned back and saw the water monster was only a few feet away. "…so _that_ can get me."

_Oh no, they won't!_ Surprising the newly arrived monster and even himself, Roxas jumped through the circling gale, ignoring the ice shards cutting into his unprotected skin, drawing up beads of blood. He landed with a wobble and would have crashed to the floor if he hadn't caught his footing on time.

Both of the monsters halted, staring at the young man as if in disbelief until he gave them one quick look and took off running. The water monster immediately gave chase, gurgling as it went. The icy wall twisted into itself, the many small ice crystals merged and grew until it formed a human shape with rigid, long hair. Its solid, transparent body gleamed under the pale moonlight as it glided in the air, joining the pursuit.

Roxas rushed over to the nearest window and pushed the heavy curtain aside. He frantically searched for a handle, only to groan when he couldn't open it. "Damn!" He glanced down the hallway and saw the monsters hot on his trail, closing the distance by the seconds.

He knew he couldn't keep on running; the hall would eventually reach an end. He needed a plan, a way to shake his pursuers off, fast. Roxas quickly dashed to the next door in the hall, hoping it would be unlocked and maybe have something he could use. But yet again, luck was not in his favor that night.

"Why is everything locked in this place?!" He had just turned away from the door when the sound of splashing water stopped. Instead, a sound like heavy rain entered his ears. Curious as ever, he stopped in his track to look back and gasped at the sight.

The water monster had stopped chasing him and had both of its hands raised above its head. Behind it, a wall of water — a wave, he recalled — was growing taller. Hovering in the air beside the wave, the ice monster was conjuring an ice sphere in its open palm. From the short time he spent in the castle, Roxas knew darn well that anything grows in size in a matter of seconds meant nothing but trouble.

He didn't stay to see what would occur; Roxas promptly tore his gaze away and turned to flee.

What happened next was all a blur. He remembered the sound of the wave intensified. Something strong crashed into him from behind, the force knocked him off his feet. He yelped. He was falling forward, but in the next second, he wasn't. Something held him back. Roxas was still in a state of shock until he felt his bare foot was freezing cold and couldn't move. He looked down and felt his heart jumped to his throat.

His whole lower body was encased in ice.

_No…_

Roxas balled up his fists and hit the ice trapping him immediately. One hit. Five. Ten. There wasn't even a single crack. _No—no—no!_ He kept on pounding on the frozen water, refusing to give up, even when his knuckles began to hurt, the skin broke and drew blood.

The young man would have kept hammering on with his bruised fists if a low gurgle hadn't snapped him out of it.

Roxas turned his head to the source, and saw the water monster not far behind him, standing on fully formed legs. Its face was still nothing but a blank slate, but for a moment, Roxas thought he saw it pouted.

"WHAT?!" The monsters drew back at the young man's outburst. "What do you all want with me?!" Roxas demanded, all his worries and fear melted into pure, unadulterated anger. All he ever wanted was to find Aunt Aerith then bring her home safe and sound. Was that too much to ask in this apparently monster-ridden castle?!

"WELL?!" Roxas barked, slamming his fist down on the ice. "If you want to kill me, then do it! What's this for?!"

The water and ice monsters simply stared at him mutely.

Roxas was about to yell again when the tapping of heeled shoes stopped him. He slowly turned his head toward the source of the sound, and just like the two monsters, all he could do next was stare. Walking down the moonlit hallway, approaching them, was a woman. From head to toe, she was covered in black; the dark clothing hid anything that could prove her humanity away from every eye. She sauntered down the hall as if she owns both the castle and all the time in the world. Begrudgingly, Roxas supposed the former was a half-truth…

"Mother of Witchcraft…" Roxas muttered just as the woman stopped a few feet from him. Behind those thick veil, Roxas was certain she was sizing him up, and it irked him that he couldn't read her expression.

"My my… It seems like we have caught ourselves another trespasser tonight," the witch spoke. The young man lifted an eyebrow. He had not expected the infamous Mother of Witchcraft to possess such a soft-spoken voice. In fact, her voice reminded him of Namine's — minus all the friendliness, of course.

The witch turned her attention over to the monsters. "You two have done well. You may be dismissed." Roxas turned to watch the two elemental monsters bowed to her. The ice monster promptly crumbled and faded into frost while the other sank down into a puddle before shrank in size and disappeared altogether. If he wasn't still held captive by the ice, it was like those two monsters never existed in the first place.

"Now…" Roxas snapped his eyes back onto the witch. "What should we do with you?" She had a finger held up to her face — where he guessed was her chin — tapping it slowly as if in thought.

"Where is she?" Roxas asked, low but serious.

The witch tilted her head slightly. "Who?"

The blond felt heat flushed through his body and he slammed a fist against the ice. "You know who. Where is she? I swear if she's hurt, I'll—"

"Kill me. Right?" The witch finished with a sigh. "What else would you be here for? Everyone who ever set foot here had either planned to steal or swear to have my head." She paused to examine Roxas once more. "I bet you came here for the same reason."

"I didn't even believe you exist until now," he spat and struggled in his icy prison fruitlessly.

"Oh, really?" There was a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "Why are you here then if you do not believe in my existence?"

Roxas's brows furrowed in frustration. "You know why. Stop playing with me. Where is she?"

The witch shrugged half-heartedly. "Somewhere. Maybe in a bedchamber? In the throne room? Or… In the dungeon?"

Roxas froze. Dun-Dungeon?! "WHAT?!" He yelled, his body moved to lunge at the witch almost instinctively, but the ice held him in place. Roxas growled then jabbed a finger at her face. "How **Dare** You! What has she ever done to you, you witch?!"

"What has she done?" The woman huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I will tell you what. That _thief_ planned to steal from the library. No one, and I mean no one, can ever dream of leaving this place with what is not rightfully theirs. _Especially_ _my books_!"

"Ridiculous!" Roxas snarled. "Aunt Aerith will never steal anything!"

"Then explain why is she here!"

"I don't know! I don't know, alright?! Something must have happened in the woods and she ended up here!"

"Well, that sounds all too coincidental, doesn't it?!"

"How should I know?!" Roxas struggled against the ice again. "All I know is that she's here. Free me so I can find her!"

"And provides you the chance to stab me in the back? Absolutely not!"

Roxas let out a groan and brushed a hand through his hair in exasperation. "For Goddess's sake… I don't care if you're dead or alive as long as Aunt Aerith's fine. Just answer me… WHERE. IS. SHE?!"

Roxas huffed in anger, glaring daggers at her, but it didn't seem to faze the witch in the slightest. Instead, she was awfully silent for the next few minutes, her line of vision never leaving the young man as she snapped her finger.

To his left, Roxas heard the whoosh of a fire just as an orb flashed into existence. Unlike the orb he encountered in the foyer, this one was red and burning like a fireball. As it began to shift and increase in size, Roxas felt panic building inside him. _Did she summon a Bomb?_ However, when the orb didn't shape into a giant sphere, he knew his assumption was wrong. The new fire monster formed into a complete human silhouette as it hovered a few inches off the ground. Unlike the bald water monster, this one had a noticeably long hairstyle and its height towered over his by at least a head. Its whole body flickered and glowed a warm red, orange and yellow, lighting up the space around it like a welcoming hearth. Identical to the two monsters before, its face was also featureless.

"Now…" The witch spoke, and Roxas turned his gaze back to her. "Shall we make a deal? You are aching to meet this… 'Aunt Aerith' of yours, aren't you?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Very well. I shall bring you to her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Chap 3. Will the Mother of Witchcraft kept her words? Is Aerith safe? Next chapter will be up soon! I promise!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me and my story. I don't deserve this patience of yours.
> 
> If you have spotted any grammatical errors, don't hesitate to inform me about it. I accept constructive criticism and ways to improve your reading experience. Sorry if there are any error regarding of spaces. Pasting the story directly into the web caused some alterations.
> 
> I would like to thank:  
> Kubani14, SupperBiscuit, shibyn, Nightmare_Troubadour and 21 guests for the kudos!  
> RoastedButter, Hellvetica, Nightmare_Troubadour, and Kubani14 for the comments!  
> Thank you all!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Do drop a comment, kudo, bookmark and/or subscribe to share your thoughts and love. They are the greatest gift for a writer. *heart*


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